Hydraulic conveyer



May 9, 1933. F. D. CHAPMAN l 1,908,220

HYDRAULIC CONVEYER Filed Deo. 7, 1931 ATTORNE Y Patented May 9, 1.9.33

UNITED STATES j FRANK D. CHAIRMAN, 0F BER-LIN, WISCONSIN HYDRAULIC CONVEYER Application led December 7, 1931.

The present invention relates in general to improvements in the art of transporting materials in bulk, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction and operation of hydraulic conveyers which are especially adapted for the transportation of granular materials such as peas, beans, berries or the like.

Generally stated, the object of this invention is to provide an improved hydraulic conveyer for granular material, which is simple in construction, readily manipulable, and eficient in operation.

It is frequently desirable in the art of handling bulk material', to resort to hydraulic means for conveying the substance, from one place to another. T his is especially true in canning factories Where commodities such as peas must be continuously transported, and simultaneously elevated, Washed, and other- Wise treated, during normal operation of the factory. The conveyers besides transporting and simultaneously cleansing or otherwise treating the peas or other commodity, must avoid mutilation thereof and must also have relatively large capacity and be operable without interruption.

It is a more specific object of the present .invention to provide an improved hydraulic conveyer especially adapted for the transportation of green peas or the like.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide various improvements in the details of construction and operation of hydraulic conveyers, whereby the operation of such devices is facilitated and the efficiency thereof is enhanced to a maximum.

A further specic object of the invention is to provide apparatus which besides performing a transporting function, may also be utilized for the purpose of elevating, Washing, heating, cooling, or otherwise treating the commodity being transported.

Still another specific object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic transporting system all parts of which'are readily accessilble for inspection and cleaning, and wherein mutilation of the commodity is positively avoided.

' 'Another specific object of the invention is Serial No. 579,406.

to provide a liquid actuated transporting device Which is entirely automatic in operation, and which may he readily adjusted to produce various conditions of operation.

These and other objects and advantages Will be apparent from the following-detailed description. A clear conception of an embodiment of the several features of the invention, and of the mode of constructing and of operating hydraulic elevators built in accordance with the improvement, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a partV of this specification in Which like reference characters designate the sameor similar parts in the various views:

Fig. l is a somewhat diagrammatic part sectional elevation of a hydraulic elevator or lift especially adapted for the transportation of green peas or the like;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical section through the improved hydraulic ej ector or flow inducing mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a similarly enlarged longitudina horizontal section through the ejector mechanilsm, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; anc

Fig. 4 is a likewise enlarged transverse section through the ejector, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. 80

Referring to the drawing, the. improved transporting system shown therein by Way of illust-ration, comprises in general a liquid supply tank 5; a conduit or return pipe 6 communicating at its upper end with. the 8" lower portion of the tank 5; a pump 7 communicating at its suction side With the lower end of the pipe 6 and adapted to deliver liquid into a discharge conduit or pipe 8; an ejector 9 communicating With the pipe 8 and 0 With a supply hopper l0; a conveyer pipe 1l formed to receive a mixture of granular material and liquid from the ejector 9 and totx deliver the same at its upper end against a spreader or dome 12; and a separator 13 for removing the granular material from the liquid and for returning the latter to the supply tank 5.

' The supply tank 5 contains suicient liq- 100 uid such as Water to keep the system abundantlysupplied with transporting fluid, and 1s preferably located at a considerable distance above the hopper 10. A branch pipe 14 which connects Withthe return pipe 6 'laterally adjacent to the hopper 10, has one branch 15 communicating with the upper portion of the hopper past a valve 16 controlled by a oat17, and has another branch 18 which communicates tangentially with the lower circular portion of the hopper 10 past I a shut-off valve The topJ of the hopper is open for the reception of granular mate- 1 rial such Aas, green peas, in bulk, and the float 17 riding upon the liquid inthelower portion of the hopper 10cont-rols the opening and closing ot the valve 16 andthereby establishes a definite level of liquid in the hopper. The branch 18 delivers liquid under pressure into the lower portion'of the mass'of liquid and granular material within'the hopper 10, lthus whirling the mixture 'and insuring inti- Iimate mixing of thematerials. The valve 19 serves' to control the quantity and pres-- '.sure` of the liquid delivered into vthe hopper 10 through the branch 18, and also permits stoppage of the flow ofliquid from the tank 1 5 through the branch 18 whenever desirable.v

" The "pump 7 may be of the centrifugal orl any other type, driven from any-suitable l source of power. 'A shut-oil' valve 20 may be disposed in the pump discharge pi e 8 near the pump 7, and anautomatic ch ck valve 21 mayalso be provided in `the pipe 8 be' tween the'valvel 20 and the ejector 9. This backing up into the hopper'lO, and the extent of opening of the flap valve 22 Vmay be varied bymeans of a set screw 23 which serves to adjustably limit the opening movement of the valve 22.

The improved ejector 9 for delivering ,the miiture of granular material and.,liqu`id at high velocity into the lower end of the conyeyer pipe r`11,- comprises a lnain casing 24 having an upper opening communicating directlyl with th`e llower delivery opening of the hopper 10; a nozzle 25 disposed centrally within the casing 24 and communicating with f the pump discharge pipe 8; a Venturi tube 26 having a locally restricted passage connecting the interior of the casing 24 with the lower end of the conveyer pipe 11 beyond the disch-arge end ofthe nozzle 25; and

means located at the end ot the casing 24 remotefrom the tube 26 for producing Whirling motion ofthepmixture of granular -mateial and liquid surrounding the nozzle 25.,

hopper 10 The ejector assembly is such that an annular suction passage 27 is formed around the discharge .orifice of the nozzle 25 and directly in advance of theVenturi tube 26, so that the kjet delivered fromthe nozzle into the constriction of the tube 26 will draw the miXture -of granular material and liquid from within the casing 24 and will ydeliverv the same at high velocityinto and through the conveyer conduit 11.'

The 'nozzle 25 may be adjusted along the aXis of tlie casing' 24 in order to vary the cross-section of' thepassage 27, by means of shims 28 and the adjacent screw threads, and

`a removable plug 29 vpermits drainage of liquid from the casing 24. Thewhirl producing/.means at the end of the casing 24, consists of an annular chamber 30 co-which liquid from the pump discharge pipe 8 is admitted through a branch pipe 31 and valve 31', a series of adjustable needles 32 extending angularly through the chamber 30, and an annular series of orifices 33 controlled. by

the needles 32 and disposed helically relative to the aXis of the nozzle 25. Pipe plugs 34 facilitate construction of the chamber 30 within the lcasing 24,and also permit access to the chamber 30 Jfor cleaning, and the needles 32 are provided with hand wheels for permitting convenient adjustment thereof:

'lhe 1separating device 13 associated with the upper extremity of the conveyer pipe 11, comprises the spreader plate 12; a collecting tank`35 disposed beneath the plate 12; and a separating grid 36 associated with the inclined bottom of the tank 35. .l The upper extremity of the pipe 11 may be flared as shown in order lto improve the spreading action, and the grid 36 is preferably provided with dep-ending fins 37 for insuring rapid and complete separation of the liquid from the granular material. The ins 37 return the drainage liquid directly-to the supply tank 5,.and the separat-ed granules are discharged Jfrom the lower end of the grid 36,'

During normal operation of' the improved hydraulic conveyer, the pump 7 is operating to withdraw liquidl from the supply tank 5 through the suction pipe 6 and to deliver the liquid through the discharge vpipeSl and nozzle 25 to the conveyer pipe 11 p-ast the Venturi tube 26. Granular material such as peas,

is maintained by the float 17. vvLiquid under' pressure is also entering the hopper 10'tanis delivered in bulk into the supply wherein a deinite level of liquid gentially through the branch 18, and causes the mixture of peas and liquid within the hopper 10 to whirl and yto thoroughlymix. rlhe whirling mixture is Withdrawn from the lower end `of the hopper 10 past the Hap valve 22by thesuction created inthe passage 27 and first enters the space Within vthe casing 24, surrounding the hozzle 25.- Fluid Vunder pressure delivered from the pump discharge pipe^8 through the branch` pipe 31 and chamber 30 is injected through the orifices 3.3 and produces whirling motion of the mixture delivered from the hopper-10 and causes the swirling mass to advance along the nozzle toward the annular suction passage 27. The mixture of peas and liquid is thus delivered in the form of an annularfswirling layer,'into the constricted passage of the tubing 26 by the jet delivered Vat high velocity from the nozzle 2 5, and the entire mixture is eventually discharged from the Venturi tube 26 into the lower end of the conveyer pipe 11 athigh velocity. The mixture of liquid and peas is thus carried' upwardly throughpthe pipe 11 and is eventually de.- livered against the spreader plate l2 which reverses the direction of flowV and deposits the peas and liquid into the tank of the separating device 13. The mixture then flows towardthe separating grid 36 where the liquid is drained from the peas and is reif. condition. Y

It will be apparent that the'operation of surfaces.

- operation.

turned tol the supplyY tank 5, the fins 37V in-4 i suring complete drainage of the liquid. The peas are eventually delivered from the lower end of the grid 36 in thoroughly washed valve 31 also serves to control the quantity/` of liquid delivered to the chamber 30, and the needles 32 may be readily adjusted to Iv ary the degree of whirling of the mixture of peas and liquid within the casing 24. By

whirling the mass within the chamber 24, accumulation of peas within the bottom of this\casing, is positively avoided and uniform distribution of the peas within the conveyer pipe 1l, is insured. Due to thefact that the liquid owing at high velocity through the' pipe 11 is retarded at its periphery by the friction vintroduced by the i confining surfaces of the conveyer pipe, 'the peas will seek the center of/ the stream'which is traveling at maximum velocity, and will not bemutilated by rubbing against the pipe The separating device 13 serves to quickly segregate the peas from the liquid and to return the liquid to the tank 5, and the various control valves permit convenient adjustment to meet any desired conditions of It should be understood that 4'it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact chamber.

details of construction and to the precise mode of operation herein shown and described, forf various modifications within the scope o'tthef claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination, a conveyer conduit hav- 'i ing a constricted inlet end and an upwardly Aet having a constricted lower inlet end, a nozzle for directing a jet of liquid directly into said constricted end, a easing `forming'an annular chamber. surrounding said nozzle and communicating through an annular opening surrounding said jet directly with said'constricted end, a hopperfor delivering granular material and liquid into said chamber, and a check valve actuated by the pressure in said chamber and operable only when said jet is interrupted to intercept communication between said hopper and said 3. In combination, an elevating conduit having a constricted lower inlet end, a nozzle for directing a jet of liquid directly into said constricted end, a casing forming an annular chamber surrounding said nozzle and communicating through an annular opening surrounding said jet directly with said constricted end, a hopper for delivering granularymaterial and. liquid into said chamber, meansqfor causing the admitted mixture of granular material and liquid to whirl about delivery thereof from saidchamber through said opening to said constricted end, and a said nozzle vprior to check valve actuated by the pressure in said chamber and operable only. when said jet is interrupted to intercept communication be tween said hopper and said chamber.

4. In combination, an elevating conduit having a constricted lower inlet end, a nozzle for directing a jet of liquid directly intosaid A constricted end, a casing forming an annular chamber surrounding said nozzle and communicating through an annular opening surrounding said jet directly with said constricted end, a hopper for delivering granular material'V andliquid into said chamber,

'common means for injecting liquid under pressurel into said nozzle and said chamber, and a check valve actuated by the pressure' in said chamber vand operable only when said 113 jet is interrupted t0 intercept communication between said hopper and said chamber.

5. In combination, an elevating conduit having a constricted lower inlet end, a nozzle for directing a jet of liquid directly into said constricted end, a casing forming an annular chamber surrounding said nozzle and communicating through an annular opening surrounding said 'jet directly with said constricted end, a hopper for delivering granular material and liquid into said chamber, common means for simultaneously injecting liquid under pressure aXially through said nozzle and tangentially into said chamber,

'and a check valve actuated by the pressure in said chamber and operable only when said jet is interrupted to intercept communication between said hopper and said chamber.

6. In combination, an elevating conduit having a lower inlet and an upwardly open outlet end, a nozzle for directing a jet of liquid into said conduit inlet, a casing forming an annular chamber surrounding said nozzle and communicating with said conduit inlet, a hopper for delivering granular material and liquid into said chamber, means for laterally spreading the mixture of granular material and liquid delivered from said outlet end, and means for separating the liquid from the elevated granular material and for returning portions of the former to said hopper, chamber and nozzle.

7. In combination, a conveyer conduit having a constricted inlet end and a discharge portion at a higher level than said constricted end, means for directing a jet of liquid into said conduit through said constricted end, a casing forming a chamber communicating with said constricted end through an orifice surrounding'the jet, means for delivering granular material into said chamber through an opening disposed below said conduit discharge portion, and fluid pressure i actuated means operable only When said jet is interrupted to intercept communication between said hopper and said chamber through said opening. n

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

FRANK D. CHAPMAN. 

